Headaches
by Shamrock Shannyn
Summary: When Superman suddenly becomes ill Batman is determined to find out why


Disclaimer: Batman, Nightwing, Superman and all the other cool characters are the properties of DC COMICS. This is a fan fiction story, not written for profit.

Continuity- Animated

Setting: Justice League Headquarters

Headaches

By: Shannyn Grayson Ivy

"What's the matter with you?" Batman asked, surprised to see his long time colleague and friend wincing with pain.

"Nothing. I'm fine." Superman answered sharply, his blue eyes darting around the room to ascertain who was listening to them.

"Are you in pain?" Batman pushed ahead for answers, ignoring the fact that Superman seemed unwilling to give any.

"It's just a headache." Superman replied stubbornly.

"YOU don't get headaches." Batman stated flatly.

"What's that supposed to mean? I'm an ALIEN so I can't get a headache?" Superman snapped angrily. Feeling all eyes on him now, Superman pushed past the gray and black batlike figure that doubled as a human interrogation machine.

"I'm an alien and I get headaches..." Martian Manhunter interjected as though that piece of information would solve all puzzles in the known universes.

"Cute Jon. Real cute." Batman snipped. Turning abruptly, Batman's floor length cape whirled around him as he left the room almost as though it were a living being of its own.

"Got to hand it to the Bat. He KNOWS how to make an exit." Flash grinned at Green Lantern with his mouth open, revealing all the toppings of his extreme pizza that he had been munching on.

"AND he knows how to chew with his mouth shut..." Green Lantern growled.

"That too!" Flash agreed, though it sounded rather muffled.

Shaking her head, still amazed at the rudeness of men, Wonder Woman decided to change the subject.

"Jon, do you think Superman is alright?"

"It is more than likely nothing serious. I could not read any other thought or feeling from him other than sheer annoyance at Batman's insistent questioning."

"Annoyed? At Batman? Well that's CERTAINLY new. None of us have ever felt THAT before." Green Lantern said dryly. Each of his team mates shrugged and nodded their agreement.

"I know Batman gives me a headache. Why should big blue be any different?" Green Arrow asked as he glanced up from the hand of aces and eights he was holding, playing opposite Black Canary. He sat, chair leaning backwards, admiring Canary's long limbs she had stretched out. Her booted feet crossed and propped on the round wooden table they had commandeered for such an important mission as poker...

"Maybe so but he's the cutest headache a girl could ever have..." Canary chimed in just to see Arrow's face turn devil red. She got her wish in spades.

"I've got work to do." Green Arrow spat and threw down his cards without waiting to see if he had won. He then left the rec room abruptly.

Black Canary looked and Wonder Woman and giggled. "Something I said?"

Wonder Woman looked back at her and smiled. "I don't see how it could be. I am in complete agreement with you..." The two women laughed even harder when they noted Green Lantern and Flash's repulsed reaction to their 'girl talk'.

"Deal me in." Wonder Woman announced as she sat down in Arrow's now vacate chair. Leaning back in it just as she had seen him do earlier she asked, "Now, how do we play this again?"

XXXXXXXXXX

"I'm just saying…let Star Labs have a look at you." Batman insisted.

"No wonder Nightwing left home." Superman grumbled under his breath knowing full well that Batman wasn't going to let this drop.

Batman studied his friend closely. It wasn't like Clark to bicker. Maybe there really _was_ something going on with him…

Noting Batman's intense gaze, Superman threw up his hands exasperated.

"Fine. At this point I will do whatever it takes to shut you up." Superman snipped and again pushed past Batman.

Again, Batman noted his long time partner was acting out of character. Perplexed and determined to get to the bottom of it, Batman followed Superman to the Lab just to make sure of the results.

XXXXXXXXXX

Several test and two and a half hours later the diagnosis was confirmed. Superman, AKA The Man of Steel had a headache.

"I don't understand." Batman stated categorically. "You don't get headaches."

"Would you STOP?" Superman snapped. "I don't need you to remind me again that I'm an alien!"

Before Batman could respond, Superman was gone.

"What was that about?" Wonder Woman asked. She had never witnessed Superman acting so out of sorts before.

"Don't worry; he's just got a headache." Batman answered perfunctorily. The proximity of Wonder Woman proved to be far too close for Batman to think clearly. Why he wondered, did he seem to all but shut down every time she was near?

"I'm not worried, I'm…concerned." Wonder Woman answered intrigued that Batman never seemed to be able to look her in the eye. His gaze never quite seemed to make it up that far…

"In any case, I was looking for you for a reason." Wonder Woman explained. "Nightwing is here and he is NOT happy."

Batman sighed. He had known this was going to happen, still he did not look forward to the confrontation that he had no doubt would erupt between them.

"Stall him. I need to talk to Superman." Batman barked and was gone down the corridor before she could object.

Wonder Woman smiled to herself. She had finally found Batman's fear. It did not lie with ghost or goblin, man or monster. No, Batman's fear was of his surrogate son's temper. Wonder Woman was unsure why but for some reason that just seemed to make the Batman all the more intriguing…

XXXXXXXXXX

Taking the chance that Superman was in fact sulking in his quarters, Batman placed his hand print on the security monitor and entered the room without prior authority. Superman glanced up from the paper he was reading and rolled his eyes. Bruce Wayne wasn't a Bat Superman mused, he was a bulldog.

"I did what you wanted, what now?" Superman asked hotly.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Batman inquired softly. Walking over to the wall beside Superman's chair, Batman leaned his tired shoulders onto it. Slowly he took off his mask and waited for his friend to open up.

"It's just a damn headache Bruce! For God's sake let it alone!" Superman all but shouted.

"There is more to it than that. And I will tell you how I know." Batman answered and fought back a smile when he saw Superman's surprise.

"You are worried. My guess, it's about a loved one or loved ones."

"HOW…?" Superman started to ask but realized that the inner workings of Batman's mind were not meant to be understood only marveled at.

"It's a tension headache. You keep rubbing your temples. You are irritable and just want to be left alone. This leads me to believe you have a lot on your mind and nothing gives a man a headache like family." Batman explained in a very knowing tone.

Superman looked at his friend. Had the great Batman just revealed, awkwardly, something of himself?

"You said nothing gives a man a headache. Didn't you mean alien?" Superman asked defensively.

"The only one in this room that is hung up on you being an alien Clark is you. This leads me to believe that your sensitivity to the subject is an underlying reason for your headache." Batman noted and waited for his friend to dispute this.

Superman sighed heavily. Sometimes he could swear that it was Batman that had the x-ray vision.

"Okay, Lois is driving me crazy. Nobody puts themselves in the line of fire like she does. I can't be with her twenty four/ seven! What am I supposed to do? What good does it do me to be "quote _Superman_ unquote" if I can't keep her safe?" Superman's voice boomed through the room. Suddenly he could no longer sit still and began pacing back and forth in front of the person that had dredged up everything that he did not want to think about.

"I sent her on a wild goose chase last night. With Darkseid attacking I just… I wanted her safe." Superman's voice became velvet soft and he sat down again looking as though he would never be forgiven.

"Did you tell her? Explain that you were worried?" Batman asked.

"This is LOIS, Bruce. She'll take my head off." Superman began rubbing his temples again, just as Batman fought off the urge to do the same to his own. Suddenly how to solve the problem seemed clear.

"Last night was chaotic and to be honest, what you did is…reasonable. I will speak to Lois on your behalf. I will make her understand." Batman declared with confidence.

"You…you'd do that for me?" Superman asked surprised. It was not like Batman to get anywhere near relationships or the emotional baggage that went with them.

"I will. However, you will need to return the favor." Batman explained and avoided Superman's stare.

"The wild goose chase you sent Lois on last night…" Batman began.

"Yes."

"I overheard you and I…" Batman stopped suddenly. Someone was at the door. Quickly and without hesitation he placed his mask securely back in place.

With a soft swish the door opened to reveal Wonder Woman standing on the other side. Unlike Batman earlier, she did wait to be invited in.

"Sorry to interrupt but Nightwing is in the lounge and his is furious. Any chance you are going to take care of this today?" Wonder Woman asked trying to veil her amusement.

"Nightwing's furious? Why?" Superman asked and suddenly the answered dawned on him.

"You sent him on a wild goose chase too, didn't you? That's why you've been rubbing _your _temples all day…" Superman laughed heartily and slapped his friend on the back.

"Come on Bruce, you can't hide from him forever." Superman teased.

"Want a bet?" Batman asked. Superman smiled even more when he realized that Batman was indeed contemplating it.

XXXXXXXXXX

"It's about time you got here!" Nightwing growled. "Your lackey's have been giving me the royal run around!"

Green Lantern looked to Green Arrow, his ring glowing. "Tell me that Bat brat didn't just call us lackeys!"

"Not hard to believe. The entire Batclan think they are superior to the rest of us." Green Arrow chimed in, his pride still stinging from Black Canary's earlier comments of the Bat's good looks.

"Pipe down Green guys. I'm talking to the Bat." Nightwing snapped. At Green Arrow and Green Lantern's surprised looks, Flash fought back a snicker. This was going to be good. He only wished he had some popcorn to munch on as he enjoyed the show…

"I was ordered back from the frontlines last night and I demand to know who gave the order and why!" Nightwing's voice boomed through the room and Batman tried not to wince. His headache was suddenly much worse.

"Which one of these pompous jerks took me off the case?" Nightwing asked, his blue eyes darting back and forth between all the present members of the Justice League. When he found out who sent him to baby-sit that spunky reporter there was going to be hell to pay.

"That pompous jerk would be Batman." Green Arrow chimed in. The smile on his face reached his eyes as he stroked his goatee and waited for the fireworks to begin.

"YOU?" Nightwing half asked, half yelled.

"..."

"YOU gave the order?"

"..."

"YOU! YOU GAVE THE ORDER!" Nightwing screamed. "WHY?"

"I shouldn't have." Batman answered quietly.

"Yeah Huh! Ya think?" Nightwing retorted angrily.

"I...have...difficulty... when we work together." Batman admitted, well aware that his teammates were listening.

"Why?" Nightwing asked surprised.

"Separating work from personal. The lines sometimes become blurred..." Batman answered, hoping his son and former partner would understand.

"In other words...he was worried about you." Superman interjected what he knew Batman was uncomfortable conveying.

"Worried huh?" Nightwing asked, staring Batman down.

After several long moments Batman answered. "Concerned."

"Well if you get to pick my missions, I get to pick yours..."Nightwing threatened.

"Point taken." Batman growled.

"Thought it would be." Nightwing answered with his signature grin.

With that settled Wonder Woman smiled sweetly as she took Superman and Batman both by the arm and began to lead them towards the door.

"Let's get you boys some, what do you call it Canary?" Wonder Woman asked.

Black Canary happily chimed in. "It's called Tylenol, WW." Then glancing at Green Arrow she added "And it's a wonderful thing…"


End file.
